The Fifth Rider
by CharmedPluto
Summary: Most cats believe in four Riders. Sources tell us of Strife, War, Fury and Death. But what of the Fifth Rider that StarClan brought into existence to unleash their wrath when the world comes to an end? What of the Horseman Pestilence?Warning: graphic violence throughout.


It was quite on this calm summer day. The sky was bright blue and cloudless with the Sun high in the sky. It was around noon about now. In the grasses and undergrowth of this forest padded a brown tabby cat. His steps were light and careful as he stalked behind an unsuspecting mouse. This would've been the perfect time to strike and claim the prey for his own if if hadn't been for the wind changing direction just slightly.

"Darn it..." the cat hissed as he lunged and missed completely. The mouse scurried away and vanished instantly into it's hole.

That was Brambleclaw. And StarClan knew his luck was null and void today. Skill could only take a cat so far. This was the fifth mouse that had slipped through his claws due to something he considered utterly stupid. The first got away because his aim was just off by a bit, nothing big. It was the next four that started to give him the suspicion that his skills weren't off, but rather his luck. A tree branch breaking causing the prey to turn and see him mid stride, another prey target heading the same way as him. The wind changing...for the third time now. The tomcat rolled his eyes sighed and hung his head in defeat and started back to the ThunderClan camp, hidden deep within the forest. As he walked back he got the suspicion someone was following him. Glancing over his shoulder he thought he saw another but there wasn't anyone there.

"Weird." He muttered. As he turned his muzzle pressed against that of another. This cat was a short white tom. He jumped back in surprise.

"Whoa! Who the hell are you?! And what are you doing in ThunderClan territory?" That last part came with taking a fighting stance.

The white tom, whose face was obscured by what looked like a bucket or a can that Twolegs throw their garbage in, brushed passed him without a word. Brambleclaw lunged at him but he was gone instantly.

"What? Where'd he go?"

"Strife." a voice commanded, "Enough fooling around with the locals. They couldn't stop us even if they wanted to."

Brambleclaw looked over his shoulder and spotted three more rouges. The first was much bigger than him, his pelt red like blood, and a hood covered his face. His bangs were a strange sky blue color and protruded from the hood matching his glowing blue eyes...literally glowing. The next was a small black she-cat which for a split second Brambleclaw thought was Nightcloud of WindClan but the fact that her fur seemed to dance like flames made him think otherwise. The last was smaller than the rest of his group, a mask of bone white covered his face. His fur ghostly pale which made the ThunderClan deputy uncomfortable. His bangs were long enough that they reached the center of his back.

"Who are you three? Is that white cat with you?" he demanded though this was probably not the best situation to be demanding things.

"That is none of your business, little one." the small tom stated as his white companion whom he assumed was Strife took his place by his side.

"Who are you calling little one? I've got a whole whisker length on you."

The small tom rolled his eyes, "Why is it that we always run in to stupid cats?"

The sparked anger in the deputy and he lunged at him, bowling the small tom over...and he hit the ground with no one under him. Something cold was pressed against his throat and it was sharp as he could feel it cutting his fur. He didn't move.

"Never assume that size gives you an advantage." the tom sneered.

The cold fell from his throat and he turned to see something he didn't think he'd ever see a cat with.

A scythe. This one small, and held with the blade facing backwards away from him. The deputy's eyes widened in shock. How did this tiny tom suddenly end up behind him. His friend, Strife had done something similar he was sure of it. The tom sheathed his weapon into a brace the tabby hadn't seen earlier on his fore paw.

"Let us be going. This territory has always been one that I hate traversing."

His eyes narrowed, "Who are you four?! As ThunderClan deputy I demand an answer."

"He's really not going to let this go is he?" The red tom commented as he walked away.

The pale turned back to him and uttered one word that shook Brambleclaw to the core.

"Death."

Brambleclaw watched as they exited his territory, bound towards ShadowClan. He let out a sigh of relief for a minute he thought that was going to be the end. He started back towards the camp again, this time he wasn't going to let anything stop him. A low roar however caused him to skid to a halt just a few minutes from camp. The ground started to shift under paw and he jumped back just a bit as this thing jumped out of the ground. A canine, this one wasn't very big but it didn't look...living. One could see its bones and the fur was a mix of fire and brimstone. It howled and more appeared out of nowhere. He started to step back as they flashed their claws at him.

"ThunderClan..." he mewed, "To arms..."

No one heard him. The camp he could see from here was now on fire and surrounded by these dogs.

"You monsters!" he snapped and lashed out at them

The dog seemed to laugh at him and slapped him aside like a kit. The tom cat felt his fur singe and what he though was him forepaw breaking right at the elbow. He sat there whimpering as he tried to stand.

"Noli resistere nobis. Coniungere nobis in inferno!" it snapped at him.

He gave them a look through the pain of his broken limb.

"NOW DIE!" another snapped and rose up on it's hind legs to finish him.

Brambleclaw braced and shut his eyes, ready to embrace death...

The blow never came. He heard a splattering noise and felt something sticky on his face. His amber eyes to see blood flowing from the dogs mouth as it fell...in two direction. His eyes widened with shock and fear. Behind what was left of it was the pale tom from earlier. He had _two_ scythes! Both of them were drenched in blood now. The other two dogs didn't have time to react as one was run through with a metal stick of some kind and the other's head just exploded into a mist of gore.

"Bring down these demons Horseman!" the pale one ordered.

_Horseman? _

He spotted the black she-cat with two vine looking weapons at her sides as she tore through the demon dogs with little effort at all. The blood red tom swung his stick with ease like it weighed nothing hacking his way through the masses. Every now and then he saw a dog or two just explode into pieces. The white tom he saw drop down and rise up on his back paws, his forepaws glowed and shot forth brilliant bursts of red light that tore though them. While those were impressive it was the pale one, the smallest of the bunch that was darting around at unimaginable speed, his scythes slashing these dogs to pieces. He couldn't stand but he couldn't watch either, the volume of blood here was making him sick.

"GET UP!" the pale tom ordered and hauled him to his paws.

The Deputy was a bit tipsy but he was okay. He favored his left side seeing as his right forepaw he was sure was broken. It made him feel terrible! Would this cost him from becoming leader? He shook his head at that thought, his own ambition could wait, the Clan would always take priority.

"What is happening?"

"Samael's Demons have laid siege to your clan." The horseman replied, "For what reason I do not know. But the balance is in jeopardy if Samael gains any ground here in the Third Kingdom."

The tom flinched as a demon the size of a bear picked him up by his skull and hauled him into the air.

"Well well if it isn't Death himself." the thing sneered.

"You really don't want to try me, demon."

It felt something claw at it's leg and saw Brambleclaw attacking him.

"BEGONE!"

Brambleclaw was booted aside and slammed hard into the ground. He watched as the demon started to squeeze Death's skull...and the horseman vanished suddenly.

"What the..?"

Brambleclaw saw two slashing motions and the demon's arms fell off, split at the elbow.

"I warned you," Death said shrugging and sheathing his weapons.

The demons had begun to retreat, falling back into the ground where they'd risen from. Their captain however stayed staring as all three of the other strange cats took their place at Death's side.

"This isn't over...I shall slay you all!"

In spite of lacking arms the mad demon rushed forward, fire spewing from his maw like an evil flood. The white tom was first to strike racing ahead, rearing up and smashing his paws into the thing's face. Radiant light exploded from his paws shooting the demon back. It tumbled head over tail right into the large red tom's weapon, the broadsword Chaos Eater. The blade rammed through the demon, stuck on it like Vlad the Impaler had just stuck it on a pike. This one threw the demon into the air. The black she-cat was next to attack and wrapped the monster in her vines before slamming him into the ground so hard that it cratered under the pressure. Death was last his she-cat ally held the demon wrapped up. Blood and slim dripped from the monster's maw as it glared Death in the face. The masked cat didn't flinch.

"Rejoin your brethren in hell." Death snapped and swung his scythe.

Bramblclaw's eyes widened in shock, the monster's head rolled, severed expertly at the neck. Blood sprayed for only a second though before fire reclaimed the decapitated corpse. The tabby tom couldn't believe what he had just witnessed. Now he really wanted to know.

But his questions could wait. ThunderClan was in ruin. The camp was devastated and among the bodies of the slain demons he saw his clanmates. Firestar had survived, but only by the skin of his teeth from the look of how beat up he was. Sandstorm was alive as well but she was unconscious and her mate was nudging her flank trying to wake her up. Squirrelflight lay with her sister, both of them had been slain. Jayfeather and Lionblaze were holding out but they were hurt. Dustpelt and the others seemed to be either missing, or, to the deputy's horror, killed. The deputy let out a wail seeing all of this at once had really driven home how weak they truly were. The four strangers moved closer to his clanmates and Brambleclaw was quick to step in.

"No more games, strangers! Who the hell are you?!"

"Should we tell him?" The white tom asked the pale.

"His clan has fallen, it's only fair he know...heck all of his clan shall know who we are." his ally replied, "We are the Horsemen."

"Horsemen?"

"I am Death." the pale one went on, "This is War," (He motions to the red tom) "Fury," (He motioned to the black she-cat) "And Strife." (He motioned to the white tom.) "We are the messengers of the Charred Council. And also the Keepers of the Balance."


End file.
